Glare shield for vehicles



Novi' l2, 1929. wl N, SHELTQN 1,735,699

GLARE SHIELD FOR VEHICLES Filed Dec.A l2, 1928 InVen'-or Patented Nov. 12, 1929 WILYBUB N. SELTON, OF WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS GLARE SHIELD FOR VEHICLES l#Application led December 12, 1928. Serial'No. 325,616.

This invention relates to improvements in glare-shields for automobiles and other vehicles and the principal object thereof is to provide asimple device comprising a roll of thin flexible light-absorbing material which can be readily extended across the upper portion of the wind-shield and anchored in a taut position to intercept the rays of the sun which otherwise would strike and dazzle the eyes of the operator of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a casing containing aspring-actuated roll of thin flexible light-absorbing material with means for supporting the casing at its upper end so that the casing will extend well below the lower edge of the upper portion of the wind-shield and providing the free end of the flexible sheet with means to engage an anchorage remote from said casing when the free end of the sheet is extended against :the tension of the roller spring. This desirably is accomplished by rigidly connecting the upper end of the casing by a screw l threaded member, such as a machine screw or bolt, to a bracket which may be secured preferably to the upper member of the wind-shield frame..

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the casing is constructed of sheet metal and which desirably comprises a base having integral ends and a housing detachably cennected to said base.

A further feature of the invention consists in employing a special flexible sheet of liglit-absorbingg` material which is very thin and is provided with a smooth andpreferably glazed surface, whereby the sheet will be wound tightly upon a spring-actuated roller so that by reason of the thinness of the sheet and the tightness of the winding thereof upon the roller a sheet of suilicient length to extend across a portion of the whole of the width of the wind-shield will be contained in a small casing which will not present an undesirable appearance..

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims. I A

In Vthe drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of a wind-shield frame having a transparent wind-shield mounted there- 1n, such as is employed in usual types of automobiles, showing the invention as applied thereto, with a glare-shield in extended position to shade the eyes of the operator;

Fig. 2 is mainly a vertical longitudinal seccc tional view showing the glare-shield and its casing and the manner in which it is supported upon the wind-shield frame;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3--3 Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view partly in longitudinal section illustrating a modified form of the invention.

The invention mayT be briefly described as comprising a glare-shield for vehicles having a wind-shield frame containing a transparent wind-shield, such as glass, celluloid, or the like, comprising a casing having means for securing the same at its `upper end to the wind-shield framev in such position as to extend vertically 4downwardly well below the upper frame member of the wind-shield, a spring-actuated roller mounted within said casing, a sheet of thin flexible light-absorbin material wound upon said roller with one en so secured thereto and its free end, `extendin through an aperture in the casing and provi ed with means to engage a suitable anchorage remote from said casing when extended therefrom against the tensionof the roller spring.

The term light-absorbing as employed herein comprises any material, either opaque, translucent, 'or suitably .`c'olor'ed, adapted either to absorb all or the undesirable rays of the lightof the sun or the light from other so sources such as the lights of approaching vehicles', street lights, etc.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings comprises a casing having a preferabl sheet metal base l with integral ends 2 andy 3 bent at right angles to the plane of the base l and also preferably a flange 4 bent from and extending longitudinally of one edge of the base, and a housing 5 of sheet metal having ends 100 complementary to the ends of the casing and provided with flanges 6 and 7 to fit over the ends of the casin One of the edges 8 of the housing desira ly extends to the base within the flange 4 and serves, together with the flanges 6 and 7, to lock the housing detachably upon the casing, while the other edge of the housing' 9 terminates at a distance from the base to provide an aperture 10 through which the free end of the glare-absorbing sheet may be extended from within the casing. The upper end of the casing is apertured and desirably is bent to form an annular flange 11 to which is secured, by welding, brazin soldering, or otherwise, the head 12 of a bo t 13 which extends to .a distance beyond the vupper end 3 of the caslng.

The bolt 13 may, as illustrated in Fig. 2, be in the form of a machine screw, or ma be in the form of' a 'common bolt having a nut as illustrated in Fig. 4.`

In the construction in Fig. 2 the bolt 13 eX- tends into and has screw threaded engagement with the head 14 of a bracket 15 having a base 16 provided with preferably countersunk holes 17 by which it may be secured to the wind-shield frame by suitable screws or bolts 18. The stem of the bracket desirably is of such length that the fiat surface 19 of the d base will lie substantially in the saine plane with the outer flat surface of the base 1 of the casing, so that when the bracket is connected to the wind-shield frame the engagement of the base of the casing with a vertical member of the wind-shield frame, or other suitable member of the vehicle, relative rotation between the casing and the bracket will be prevented, thereby relieving the bolt 13 of any strain which otherwise might tend to loosen it in the head of the bracket.

The lower end of the bolt 13 desirably is provided with a socket 20 adapted to receive the end of the shaft 21 of a roller 22 upon which the sheet 23 of light-absorbing material is wound. The lower end 24 of the shaft 21 desirably is flattened and extends into a' rectangular aperture 25 in the lower head 2 of the casing. The roller 22 is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 24 and is connected thereto by a spiral spring 26, one end of which is secured to the shaft 24 and the other end 0i which is'secured to the roller 22.

Suitable centrifugally actuated locking mechanism 27, comprising pivotally mounted dogs 28 adapted to engage notches 29 such as are employed in usual curtain rollers ma. ble provided to control the winding-up of the s eet.

The free end of the thin sheet of lightabsorbing material desirably is provided with a sheet metal binding 30 whicl upon the end of the sheet and tends beyond the edges of the sheet to provide abutments 31 adapted to engage the endwalls of the casing and thereby prevent the desirably eX- .tightly into the head 14 y of the bracket 38 by a bolt 1 is clamped F sheet from being drawn into the casing under the action of the roller spring 26.

Means are provided for securing the free end of the light-absorbing sheet to a suitable anchorage remote from the casing. Any suitable means may be provided for this purpose such as a hook 32 adapted to engage a bracket, such as the bracket 33 which supports the rear-view' mirror 34, or a suitable hook or bracket 35 on the wind-shield frame, or the binder may be provided with an aperture 36 adapted to be engaged by a suitable hookshaped bracket or other member carried by thel wind-shield frame or otherwise, and located at a suitable distance from the casing containing the sheet of light-absorbing material and so positioned that when the free end is anchored the sheet will be maintained uny der substantially uniform tension throughout its width by the action of the. roller spring.

The device thus constructed can be economically made and readily assembled. In assembling the device, the housing having been removed, the lower end 2 may be bent outwardly sufficiently to enable the lower end 24 of the shaft 21 of the roller to be inserted in the slot 25, and the upper end of said shaft inserted in the socket 20. The sheetl may then be rawn off the roller suliiciently to produce a preliminary winding-up of the spring 26, the roller removed and wound up by hand and re-introduced into the sockets 25 and 20. The end 2 may then be pressed back to normal position and the housing applied to cause the ianges 6 and 7 to overlie the ends 2 and 3 of the housing member respectively and the lower edge of the housing inserted within the iange 8.- The'bolt 13 may then-be screwed of the bracket and the bracket secured to a wind-shield frame by the bolts or screws 18, thereby clamping the base against the vertical frame member, or other vertical member of the vehicle, in such a manner as to prevent rotation of the casing about the bolt. The construction is also such that the base of the casing may be disposed at right angles to the base of the bracketto engage a vertical part or standal d of the y vlliicle frame, if such a position is more desira e.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 is more especially adapted to permit different mountings of the casing and bracket. In this construction the upper end 3 of the casing is connected to the head 37 39 which extends through the head 37 and is provided with a wing nut 40. The bolt 39 may be secured to the end of the casing, as above described with reference 4to the construction illustrated in ig. 2, or may be seated in a suitable socket in the end 3 of the casing adapted to prevent rotation of the bolt during the settingl up of the nut.

The operation of the device will be obmounted in said socket and ving is supported from vious. When assembled upon the machine the lsheet of light-absorbing material may be extended readily by pulling upon the free end thereof to such distance as may be desired to cause engagement between the means upon the end of said sheet with a suitable anchor-4 ing device, and the tension of the roller spring will hold the light-absorbing sheet in suchfor other purposes to which it may be adapted.

and in which it is necessary or desirable that the casing containing the extensible roll of flexible material shall be supported at one end only.

It will also be understood that various modiications in form, construction, material, or arrangement of parts may be made within the meaning and scope of the following claims.

` Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by `Letters Patent, is:

1. A glare-shield for vehicles having a wind-shield frame containing a transparent wind-shieldcomprising a casing, a bracket, means including a screw threaded member having at its lower end a socket secured to said casing and rigidly connecting said bracket to said casing, means for connecting said bracket to said frame whereby the casan end only in position to extend well below the lower edge of the 'upper frame member of the wind-shield, a

spring-actuated roller having its upper end its lower end mounted in said casing, a sheet of thin ilexible light-absorbing material wound upon said roller and connected thereto and having its free end extending through an aperture in said casing, and means upon said free end to engage a suitable anchorage remote from said casing when extended against the tension of the roller spring and having means to prevent said free end from being drawn into said casing.

2. A glare-shield for vehicles having a wind-shield frame containing a transparent wind-shield comprising a casing having an integral base and ends, and a housing detachably connected to said ends, a bracket, a bolt xedly secured to the upper end of said casing extending into said bracket and having means for rigidly locking said casing to said bracket, means for securing said base to said frame whereby the casing is supported from an end only in positionto extend well below the lower edge of the upper-wind-shield frame member, a spring-actuated roller mounted aperture in said casing,

within said casing, a sheet of thin flexible light-absorbing material wound upon said roller and connected at one end thereto and having its free end extending through an and means upon said free end to engage a suitable anchorage remote from said casing when extended against the tension ofthe roller spring.

3. A' glare-shield for vehicles having a wind-shield frame containing a transparent wind-shield comprising a casing having a lat sheet'metal base bent to form ends, a sheet metal housing having flanged ends detachably engaging the ends of said base, a bracket,

-a bolt rigidly connecting the upper end of said casing to said bracket, means for securing said base to said bracket whereby the casing is supported from an end only in position to extend well below the lower edge of the upper wind-shield frame member and to hold said flat base against a vertical member of the vehicle thereby locking the casing against rotation upon said bolt, a springactuated roller mounted within said casing, a sheet of thin flexible light-absorbing material wound upon said roller and connected at one end thereto and having Aits free end 'extending through an aperture in said casing, .and means upon said free end to engagea .95 when extended against the tension of the` suitable anchorage remote from said casing roller spring. f

4:. A' glare-shield for vehicles having a wind-shield frame containing a transparent wind-shield comprising a casing having a flat sheet metal base bent to form ends and having an upwardly bent angeextending longitudinally of one edge of saidbase, asheetmetal housing having flanged ends detachably engaging the ends of said base with one wall of said housing engaging said longitudinal flange and the other edge of the housing separated from said base to provide an aperture through said casing, a bracket, a bolt rigidly connecting the upper end of said casing to said bracket, means for securing said base to said frame whereby the casing is supported fromA an "end only in position to extend well below the edge of the upper wind-shield frame memberand to hold said flat base against a vertical member of the vehicle, a spring-actuated roller mounted within said casing, a sheet of thin flexible light-absorbing material wound upon said roller and connected at one end thereto and having its free end extendingl through an aperture in said casing, and means upon said free end to enfor rigidly but detachably supporting said casing at its upper end only from said bracket to extend well below the lower edge of the upper wind-shield frame member, a springactuated roller mounted within said casing,

a sheet of thin flexible light-absorbing material wound upon said roller and at one end thereto and having its free end connected extending through an aperture in said casing, and means upon said free end to engage a suitable anchorage remote from said casing.

In testimony whereof, I'have signed my name to this specification.

WILBUR N. SHELTON. 

